Author: David Shama

Greg Davis, the Texas offensive coordinator, was in town last week to meet with Gopher coaches.  Davis, one of Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster’s best friends, discussed such topics as how to change offensive tempo and two-minute offenses, according to Brewster.

Brewster and Davis also talked about Minnesota freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray who will be participating in his first spring practice starting next Tuesday.  “He’s extremely similar to Vince Young in a lot of different ways,” Brewster said.

Davis coached Young, an All-American quarterback who led Texas to the 2005 national championship.  Davis and Brewster talked about how to use and develop a quarterback with the athleticism of Gray.  Although the Gophers won’t have a system emphasizing runs by the quarterback, Brewster made it clear Gray will have opportunities to use option plays where he can run.

Starting quarterback Adam Weber is recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and won’t have contact this spring.  Gray is expected to benefit by directing the first team and gaining experience before he backs up Weber next fall.  Brewster regards Weber, who will be a junior, as a player who could rank with the nation’s best quarterbacks next fall.

Brewster, who has been the Minnesota coach for about 26 months, expressed  satisfaction with the team’s academic success.  He said the Gophers had 46 players with a 3.0 GPA or higher last semester.  He believes the total is the best in school history.

Brewster also said the program has experienced just one off field incident in two years where players got in trouble.  Other programs have fared much worse with irresponsible behavior.  Brewster said he tells his players, “Those who refuse to study history, are doomed to repeat it.”

Another athletic Gopher quarterback, Moses Alipate from Bloomington Jefferson, might be redshirted next season as a freshman, according to Brewster.

Frank White reported via e-mail that his grandson, Hopkins forward and Gopher recruit Royce White, has been invited to play in the Jordan Brand Classic on Saturday, April 18 in Madison Square Garden.  The game, featuring many of the nation’s best prep players, will be televised by ESPN2.

Frank speaks regionally and nationally to school, youth sports groups and others about sportsmanship.  He has upcoming engagements in St. Cloud, Mankato and Grand Rapids.  More at www.respectsports.com.

Alex Jacobson, a 7-foot reserve center for Arizona who played high school basketball in California, lived in Stillwater until ninth grade.  He’s the nephew of Minnesota Mr. Basketball Chair Ken Lien.  Arizona, 19-13, was a controversial selection for the NCAA tournament and plays Utah in the Midwest Region tomorrow night.

For a satirical look at the NCAA tournament visit the Onion’s site, https://www.theonion.com/content/video/ncaa_expands_march_madness_to?utm_source=a-section

As of Tuesday morning the Twins had 45 active players (10 non-roster) remaining in spring training camp: 20 pitchers (five non-roster), six catchers (one non-roster), 11 infielders (two non-roster) and eight outfielders (two non-roster).  Among the players reassigned earlier in the week was infielder Toby Gardenhire, manager Ron Gardenhire’s son.

Twins pitcher Francisco Liriano, based on his impressive spring training following last year’s recovery, looks like a “steal” for fantasy baseball players.

Minnesota State defeated Fort Lewis, 72-61, in the NCAA Division II Central Region Finals on Monday before the largest crowd (2,039) ever to watch a women’s basketball game at the Taylor Center in Mankato.  Minnesota State plays NCAA Midwest Region champ Michigan Tech in the Elite Eight on March 24 in San Antonio.

The Gophers play UMD tonight in the WCHA Final Five playoffs and goalie Alex Kangas has two shutouts in the past three games.  He currently has a scoreless streak of 64 minutes, 40 seconds.  Kangas has been outstanding during the postseason in his two years with the Gophers, with a 1.44 goals against average and .952 save percentage in nine career postseason games.

The Swarm’s Kevin Buchanan has been impressive scoring 18 points in the team’s last three games, all wins, according to the NLL Insider Website that lists him among the top candidates for National Lacrosse League rookie of the year. https://www.nllinsider.com/2009/03/17/national-lacrosse-league-nll-rookie-rankings-week-10/#more-5915

Four MIAC individuals have been awarded Central Region Indoor Track & Field honors by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.  Bethel senior Marie Borner was named the Central Region Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, Concordia junior Leah Kay was selected as the Region Women’s Indoor Field Athlete of the Year, St. Thomas senior Brian Sames was named the Region Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year and St. Thomas head coach Steve Mathre was honored as the Region Coach of the Year.

Former Gophers coach Jim Dutcher describes Tubby Smith’s team as “solid” most of the year and predicts guard play will be factor No. 1 determining success in the NCAA tournament.  Minnesota plays its opening game Thursday night in Greensboro, North Carolina against Texas.

“Consistent guard play is really, really key. …The big men I think have come along a little bit,” Dutcher said on Friday.  “(Ralph) Sampson particularly has come along.   (Colton) Iverson is starting to play a little bit better. … They’ve got to get consistent guard play.”

Consistent inconsistency has been a problem throughout the winter for the Gophers, while front court freshmen center-forwards Sampson and Iverson have been adjusting to the Big Ten Conference.  Minnesota ranked next to last among Big Ten teams in total turnovers, and sixth in assists.  Not all of that is the responsibility of the guards but much is.

The guard group also struggled with shooting three pointers.  The three point field goal percentages for Lawrence Westbrook, Al Nolen, Blake Hoffarber and Devoe Joseph are .353, .294, .341 and .383.  Nolen and Hoffarber have had particularly disappointing seasons shooting the ball.  Nolen regularly declines to even attempt 20 footers and Hoffarber has been shut down by defenses that are playing him as a three point specialist after he made .427 percent last season.  As a team the Gophers ranked last in the conference in three point percentage at .327.

Westbrook is the team’s leading scorer at 12.4 points per game.  He is also the team’s best scorer late in games and most able to create his own scoring opportunity.  His heroics helped the Gophers to two wins over Wisconsin.

The Gophers’ pressure defense sometimes can be the team’s best offense, turning turnovers into baskets.  They will test Texas, 22-11, on Thursday and the results could determine the winner.

The Gophers, 22-10, are 2-2 in their last four games but 6-9  in their last 15.   Against the top three finishers in the regular season conference standings, Michigan State, Purdue and Illinois, the Gophers were 1-5.

Dutcher suggests, though, Minnesota is a young team, getting better.  Can fans be happy with this season and beyond.  “I think so,” he said. “There’s hope.  … A young ball club. You look at what they lose, they’re adding more than they’re losing with the recruits that they’ve got coming.  So I think the pieces are there to have a pretty solid basketball team.”

The Gophers, who have only two seniors on the roster, are in the tournament for the first time since 2005.  They have also avoided —ugh—an invitation to the NIT.  “The fans are back in Williams Arena,” Dutcher said.  “It’s great to see the enthusiasm for the team.  If they go back to the NIT it would be a real step back. …”